Metro-east contractor avoids prison in bank fraud case. Here’s what to know
A federal judge sentenced Columbia contractor Gregg Crawford on April 25 to supervised release for his role in a yearslong bank fraud scheme involving derelict homes. Crawford and his brother-in-law falsified mortgage applications for “straw buyers” to purchase overvalued properties from 2011 to 2020, according to court records.
FULL STORY: No jail time for metro-east contractor who admitted to bank fraud in federal court
Here are key takeaways:
• The sentence: Chief Judge Nancy Rosenstengel sentenced Crawford to three years of supervised release, 200 hours of community service and a $9,500 fine, rejecting prosecutors’ request for at least a year in prison.
• Prosecution’s argument: Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Burke said Crawford was able to repay his 30 fraudulent mortgage loans because of his wealth. “People should not be able to buy down their sentencing simply because they have money,” he said.
• Why the judge declined prison: Rosenstengel cited Crawford’s lack of criminal record, his status as a 66-year-old retiree with health problems and his role as primary caregiver for his ailing wife, who suffered a heart attack in April.
• The scheme: Crawford worked with brother-in-law Francis “Frank” Eversman, a senior loan officer at the former Tempo Bank in Trenton, to falsify loan applications so straw buyers could get mortgages on highly overvalued properties from Crawford’s companies.
• Community impact: Many historic homes in Belleville and Swansea sat vacant and deteriorating for years despite renovation promises. Several were demolished after officials deemed them unsafe.
• Local reaction: Belleville rehabber Lori Creason Powell said Crawford’s wealth “was built on the backs of our neighborhoods.” She lives near a vacant Crawford home where a squatter once stayed in a tent in the backyard.
• Co-defendant’s sentence: Eversman was sentenced in December to three years of supervised release, 40 hours of community service and a $9,500 fine.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by a BND journalist.